A Vivid Journey
by animefan26
Summary: A twelve-year old Hoenn trainer named Robert begins his journey with a Sinnoh region pokemon. In Chapter 3, Robert experiences his first Pokemon contest.
1. An Eggciting Start

_**Legal Disclaimer**__: Pokémon and any characters associated with them are the properties of Nintendo Co., Ltd., The Pokémon Company, and Game Freak. Robert Hudson Williams and his family are mine and can't be used without my permission._

**A Vivid Journey**

Chapter 1: An Egg-citing Start

Mauville City has always been an exciting place. From the practical joke-playing Gym Leader Wattson to its beautiful beach, Mauville City was the perfect place to grow up. This is especially true at a house two blocks east of the gym. Robert Williams, a 12-year-old black boy with brown swept hair and hazel eyes, was sleeping in his bed when a woman's voice was heard.

"Robert, get up and get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready, " said a woman.

"Be right down, mom, " said Robert.

When he arrived at the table, Robert saw his big brother Corey, a 15-year-old man with brown eyes and long, wavy, and dark brown hair, his little sister Melissa, a 9-year-old girl with hazel eyes and brown hair done in a ponytail, and his mom Patricia, an older woman with blue eyes and long, straight, and brown hair, eating breakfast. He immediately sat down and joined in.

"Ready to become a Pokémon trainer?" asked Corey.

"Of course. Based on what Dad and you taught me about pokémon, I believe that I am ready for anything, " said Robert.

"I wish your father was here to see you off, " said Patricia.

Suddenly, a wave of emotions came over the entire family.

"I really miss Daddy, " said Melissa.

"The last time we heard from him was an e-mail he sent two months ago, Melissa. He said that he was gathering information about a new group of pokémon located in a region called Sinnoh, " said Robert.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it, " said Patricia as she left the table and headed for the front door.

When she opened the door, a mail carrier, who was wearing a red and white uniform, was standing there with a medium-sized brown box in his hands.

"I have a package for a Mr. Robert Williams, " said the mail carrier.

"I'll take it. I'm his mother, " said Patricia.

"All I need you to do is sign this, " said the mail carrier as he pulled out an electronic clipboard.

Patricia immediately signed it. Once she did that, the mail carrier gave her package.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Williams, " said the mail carrier as he tipped his cap. "Have a good day."

"Same to you, " said Patricia.

Patricia closed the door and headed back toward the kitchen. Melissa, Robert, and Corey had finished eating and were putting the dishes into the dishwasher.

"Who was it, mommy?" asked Melissa.

"Someone sent Robert a package, " said Patricia as she put it on the table.

Everyone else gathered around her.

"Let's see what is inside, " said Robert as he opened the box.

Immediately, they saw an orange egg with blue spots and an orange and yellow pokéball.

"What kind of pokémon do you believe is inside this egg?" asked Corey.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure whoever sent it trusted me to take good care of this pokémon, " said Robert.

Melissa immediately went into the box and found a letter inside.

"Maybe this will help, " said Melissa as she landed it to Corey.

Corey immediately read it and suddenly gasped.

"Dad sent the egg, " said Corey.

"I don't believe it, " said Robert.

"According to this, he found this egg in the Eterna Forest one night while observing pokemon like Hoothoot and Kricketot, " said Corey.

"What are Hoothoot and Kricketot?" asked Melissa.

"Hoothoot are round, owl-like, and brown birds with very large, red eyes while Kricketot are large, red, and cricket-like creatures with a white streak down the front of its body and small black limbs, " said Corey.

"When do you think it will hatch?" asked Robert

"Nurse Joy can help answer that question; however, we need to register a place to store your pokémon at the gym, " said Corey.

"Let me get my backpack, " said Robert as he ran upstairs.

Robert grabbed his backpack, returned downstairs, and placed the egg into his backpack and the pokéball into his pocket.

"I'm heading for the Mauville Gym, and I'm taking Robert with me, " said Corey. "We'll be back in a little while."

"Be careful, you two, " said Patricia.

Robert and Corey left home and headed east. When they arrived at the Mauville Gym, they saw an old man, who was wearing a brown blazer, a yellow shirt and matching pants, and brown loafers, playing with an aqua blue wolf with a yellow mane on its head and yellow fur at the top of its hind legs and around its front two feet.

"Good morning, Mr. Wattson. How is Manectric doing?" asked Corey.

"Morning, Corey. Manectric is doing well and getting stronger every day, " said Wattson.

"I would like for you to meet my little brother, Robert, " said Corey.

"Nice to meet you, sir, " said Robert as he shook Wattson's hand.

"Same here, " said Wattson as he shook Robert's hand.

Suddenly, Robert felt a jolt of electricity touching his hand.

"What was that?" asked Robert.

"Sorry about that, " said Wattson with a huge smile on his face as he revealed a joy buzzer in his hand.

"I should have warned you. Wattson is often playing tricks on people, " said Corey.

"I should have been more careful, " said Robert.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were off today, " said Wattson.

"I am. My brother is starting his Pokémon journey tomorrow, and I want to get him registered for the Hoenn league, " said Corey. "He also needs a place to store any additional pokémon he catches."

"Oh, that's no problem. Follow me, " said Wattson as Robert and Corey followed him into the gym.

They walked past the dueling arena and continued down a hallway until they reached an iron door next to a keypad.

"I only show this room to new Pokémon trainers and nobody else. Can I trust you both?" asked Wattson.

"Yes, you can trust me, " said Robert.

"Of course, sir, " said Corey.

"Excellent, " said Wattson as he entered a five-digit sequence into the keypad.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a series of racks that held thousands of pokéballs and a center desk with a computer, scanner, and microphone on it. They immediately went inside. The door immediately closed behind them.

"Wow, I have never seen so many pokéballs in my entire life, " said Robert.

"These pokéballs belong to the trainers from Mauville City. For most cities and towns, the gyms store the Pokémon for its trainers. Everywhere else, a Pokémon center stores them, " said Wattson. "To set up your Pokémon storage, I'll need a hand and voice print from you."

"Ok. No problem, " said Robert.

Wattson sat down at the computer. Once he touched the mouse, the monitor immediately came on. After typing on his keyboard for a few seconds, Wattson was ready.

"Robert, I need your full name and your age, " said Wattson.

Robert quickly stepped forward.

"I'm Robert Hudson Williams, and I'm 12, " said Robert.

The computer quickly recorded the intonation and pitch of Robert's voice. Wattson typed on his computer for a few more minutes until the word OK appeared on the monitor.

"My job is done. Now, all that you need is your Pokédex and some extra pokéballs. Nurse Joy can help you out with that, " said Wattson as he right-clicked his mouse.

A printout was produced, which Wattson immediately grabbed.

"Give this to Nurse Joy, " said Wattson as he handed Robert the printout. "This will tell her where your Pokémon will be stored."

"Thank you, sir, " said Robert.

"Come on, Robbie. We need to get to the Pokémon center as soon as possible, " said Corey. "See you tomorrow, boss."

"See you tomorrow, Corey. Good luck on your journey, Robert, " said Wattson.

"Goodbye, Mr. Wattson and thanks, " said Robert.

Corey and Robert immediately left the Mauville Gym. Suddenly, there was a bright glow coming from Robert's backpack.

"It must be the egg, " said Robert as he pulled it out of his backpack and sat it on the ground.

While illuminated, the egg quickly transformed. When the light faded, the egg had become a sea otter with orange fur and paws. It had an inflatable yellow collar, two blue fins on its arms, two split tails resembling a fish's fin, two parallel marks under its eyes, and one round white mark on its back.

"Buizel, Buizel, " said the pokémon.

"Wait a minute. I can't believe my first pokémon is a female Buizel, " said Robert. "Dad told me about them before he left."

"Quickly, use that pokéball Dad gave you to retrieve it, " said Corey as Robert grabbed the pokéball from his pocket.

"Buizel, return!" exclaimed Robert as a red laser beam came from his pokéball and hit Buizel, converting it into pure energy and sucking it inside the pokéball.

"Let's hurry!" exclaimed Corey.

Corey and Robert headed toward the Pokémon center. When they arrived inside, Robert was completely surprised.

"This is amazing. This place is so cool. I can't wait to get started, " said Robert.

"Patience, Sam. We have to get you registered first, " said Corey.

"Sorry, big brother, " said Robert.

Robert and Corey walked up to the counter and saw a young woman with pink. She was wearing a pink and white nurse's outfit.

"Hello, Nurse Joy, " said Corey.

"Hello, Corey. Bringing in more of Wattson's pokémon to recover?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Not today. I've brought my brother Robert so he can register for the Hoenn league, " said Corey.

Nurse Joy got a quick look at Robert.

"So you're the little brother Corey always talking about?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Yes, Nurse Joy, " said Robert nervously.

"First, do you already have a pokémon?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Yes, I do. I have a female Buizel in this pokeball, " said Robert as he reached into his pocket and pulled the pokeball out.

"Wow. I can't believe you have a Sinnoh-exclusive pokémon. Please take good care of it, " said Nurse Joy.

"I promise you that I will, " said Robert.

"Second, where do you want your extra pokémon stored?" asked Nurse Joy.

"I'm storing them at the gym. Here is the approval printout from Wattson, " said Robert as he handed the paper to Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy quickly typed the pokémon and the location in the computer.

"Thank you very much. Your location is approved, " said Nurse Joy. "All I need to complete your registration is your picture.

Nurse Joy immediately activated her digital camera, which was already connected to her computer.

"Robert, it's picture time!" exclaimed Nurse Joy.

Robert quickly looked into the camera and gave a big smile. Nurse Joy pressed the enter key on her computer, causing the camera to shoot and the flash to go off. Within seconds, Robert's picture appeared on her computer screen.

"Give me a few minutes to process your information and update your Pokédex, " said Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy retrieved a brand new Pokédex from a nearby box and placed it into her computer's zip drive. She pressed some keys on the computer, causing all of Robert's information to download into the Pokédex. When the download had completed, the word OK appeared on the monitor. Nurse Joy quickly retrieved the Pokédex from her computer.

"Your registration is complete. Welcome to the Hoenn league, " said Nurse Joy.

"Excellent, " said Robert.

"Here's your Pokédex and your five pokéballs, " said Nurse Joy. "Good luck on your journey."

"Come on. Let's head home, " said Corey. "Robert, you got some packing to do."

"Ok. Bye, Nurse Joy, " said Robert.

"Bye, guys, " said Nurse Joy as both Robert and Corey left the Pokémon center.

When they arrived at home later that day, Robert and Corey went to their individual room, and Robert immediately started packing, taking him about four hours.

"Since I'm finished packing, let me test my Pokédex out, " said Robert as he pulled a smaller version of Buizel's pokeball out of his pocket.

Robert pressed a button on top of the pokeball, returning it to its normal size.

"Buizel, I choose you!" exclaimed Robert as he threw the pokeball onto the ground.

The pokeball opened up, revealing a white light that transformed into Buizel. Then, the pokeball returned to Robert's hand.

"Buizel, Buizel, " said Buizel.

"Let's see what the Pokédex says about you, " said Robert.

Robert removed his Pokédex from his pocket and flipped the cover over, revealing a small screen. He pointed it at Buizel, causing a still image of it to appear in the middle of a green background. Suddenly, a male voice came from the Pokédex.

"Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon. It swims by rotating its two tails like a screw. When it dives, its flotation sac collapses, " said the voice.

"How do you like being named Gyro, as in the way your tails spins when you swim?" asked Robert.

Buizel got excited and spun its tails to fly toward Robert, nearly knocking him to the floor.

"Robert, dinner's ready!" exclaimed Patricia.

"Okay, mom. I'll be down in a minute, " said Robert.

"Gyro, return!" exclaimed Robert as Buizel converted back into red energy and returned to the pokeball.

Robert immediately headed downstairs, saw everyone eating dinner, and immediately joined in. Soon, everyone had finished.

"Are you all packed?" asked Corey.

"Yes, I am. Gyro and I were just hanging out, " said Robert.

"I think that Gyro is an interesting name for Buizel, " said Melissa.

"By the way, which way are you going to begin your journey?" asked Patricia.

"I will probably head east, " said Robert.

"Not a bad idea. That road will take you to Rustboro City where you can earn a Stone Badge, " said Corey.

"I'm tired. Can we go to bed now?" asked Melissa.

"Sure. Samuel and I have to get up early, " said Corey.

Everyone placed their dishes into the dishwasher and headed upstairs to bed. Before he went to bed, Robert set his personal affects on his desk and his backpack near the front door. The next morning, Robert was sleeping soundly until he heard his mother's voice.

"Robert! Rise and shine!" exclaimed Patricia

Robert immediately got dressed and came downstairs carrying his Pokédex in his pocket and his pokéballs including Buizel's attached to his belt. Melissa was waiting downstairs at the breakfast table.

"Where's Corey?" asked Robert as he sat down at the table.

"Wattson called him in early. Apparently, a huge gym battle is planned for later today, " said Melissa. "I wonder if breakfast is ready yet."

"Yes, it is. You can't start an adventure on an empty stomach, " said Patricia as she brought eggs, bacon, and grits.

Everyone said grace, ate breakfast, and placed the dishes into the dishwasher. Robert headed for the door and placed his backpack onto his shoulders. Suddenly, Melissa grabbed Robert by the arm.

"Please, can I go with you?" asked Melissa.

"Not yet. You have to wait until you turn 10, " said Robert.

"I'll miss you, " said Melissa with tears in her eyes.

"I'll miss you, too, " said Robert.

Suddenly, Patricia appeared next to Melissa.

"You aren't going to leave without saying anything to me, " said Patricia.

"Sorry, mom, " said Robert as he walked up to her and hugged her.

"I can't believe my little boy is becoming a Pokémon master, " said Patricia with tears in her eyes.

"I'll be okay, and I'll make you proud, " said Robert.

"Good luck. By the way, I put a little surprise in your backpack, " said Patricia.

"Thanks, mom, " said Robert. "Bye."

"Goodbye, son, " said Patricia.

"Bye, big brother, " said Melissa.

They all waved goodbye as Robert opened and walked out the door. Robert began walking through the city toward Verdanturf Town and made it past the Mauville Gym.


	2. Old School Capture

_**Legal Disclaimer**__: This story follows the rules as "An Egg-citing Start". Dr. Anthony is mine and can't be used without my permission. Gwen and any characteristics associated with her is the property of MultiplePersonas._

**A Vivid Journey**

Chapter 2: Old School Capture

Later that afternoon, Robert had reached a quiet forest road. Suddenly, his stomach started to growl.

"I haven't eaten anything since this morning, " said Robert. "I bet Gyro's hungry too."

Robert unclipped Gyro's pokéball from his belt.

"Gyro, come on out!" exclaimed Robert as he threw the pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up, revealing Buizel. Then, the pokéball returned to Robert's hand.

"Buizel, " said Gyro.

"It's lunchtime, Gyro, " said Robert as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a bowl and some Pokémon food.

Robert immediately poured the food into the bowl and placed it in front of Buizel. Buizel quickly began eating.

"Wow. You're as hungry as I am, " said Robert. "I wonder what I'm going to eat."

Robert searched through my backpack and found something wrapped in aluminum foil and a small package.

"That package must be the surprise Mom was talking about, " said Robert as he removed the aluminum foil from the package. "Mom also packed some turkey and cheese sandwiches, my favorite kind."

Robert began eating his sandwiches. Within minutes, both Robert and Gyro finished eating.

"Come here, Gyro, " said Robert.

Gyro headed toward Robert as he pulled the package from his backpack.

"What do you think my mom gave me?" asked Robert.

"Buizel, " said Gyro as she shook her head.

"I don't know either. Let's find out, " said Robert as he opened the package.

Robert saw a black portable camera with an optical zoom lens inside and quickly got it out.

"Excellent. She got me a camera just like the one Dad took to Sinnoh, " said Robert.

Robert immediately turned it on.

"Gyro, look into the camera and smile, " said Robert as he focused the camera.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. Robert pointed the camera where the sound was coming from. A small bear cub-like creature with short green fur covering most of its body, except for its light tan-colored mouth and the crescent moon marking on its forehead, a small, round body, short limbs, and a short, puffy tail appeared in front of them.

"Wow, it's a Pokémon, " said Robert as he pulled his pokédex out of his pocket and aimed toward the Pokémon.

Its still image immediately appeared on the pokédex.

"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon. It lets honey soak into its paws so it can lick them all the time. Every set of paws tastes unique, " said the pokédex.

"This one is different in color than the one shown in the pokédex. Dad told me that Pokémon of the same species can have variation in their color," said Robert. "Let's try to catch it."

Robert immediately placed the camera back into his bag as Gyro shook her head in agreement.

"Gyro, use Swift!" exclaimed Robert.

Gyro fired several yellow stars from her mouth at Teddiursa; however, Teddiursa avoided the attack.

"That Teddiursa's fast," said Robert.

Teddiursa ran toward Gyro and swiped Gyro repeatedly with its paws, causing partial damage to Gyro.

"Gyro, counter that Thrash with Water Gun!" exclaimed Robert.

Gyro opened her mouth and fired a column of water at Teddiursa, stopping its Thrash attack and causing significant damage to Teddiursa. Teddiursa quickly got up. Suddenly, Teddiursa's right paw turned white. Teddiursa came charging at Gyro and punched Gyro, causing her significant damage.

"Can you continue?" asked Robert as Gyro struggled up to her feet.

Eventually, Gyro stood up.

"Be careful. That Teddiursa knows Metal Claw, " said Robert.

"Buizel, " said Gyro as she shook her head.

"Gyro, use Sonicboom!" exclaimed Robert.

Suddenly, Gyro's tail glowed white. She then flipped toward Teddiursa, releasing a massive shockwave from her tail that caused partial damage to Teddiursa. Teddiursa barely got up and attempted to use her Metal Claw attack.

"Gyro, counter that Metal Claw with Quick Attack!" exclaimed Robert.

Gyro came dashing toward Teddiursa and slammed into her, overpowering Metal Claw and knocking Teddiursa unconscious. Robert quickly unclipped a pokéball from his belt and pressed a button on it, returning it to normal size.

"Pokéball, go!" exclaimed Robert as he threw the pokéball.

The pokéball hit Teddiursa, converting her into red energy and sucking her into the pokéball itself, and it landed on the ground with its button glowing red. It moved back and forth until it suddenly stops, and its button stopped glowing.

"Yes, I caught a Teddiursa, " said Robert.

"Buizel, " said Gyro joyfully.

"How about I take a picture of both of you?" asked Robert as he retrieved the camera out of the box and placed it around his neck.

Gyro immediately nodded her head.

"Teddiursa, come on out!" exclaimed Robert as he threw its pokéball next to Buizel.

The pokéball opened up, revealing Teddiursa. Then, the pokéball returned to Robert's hand.

"Teddiursa, " said Teddiursa.

"Hi, there, " said Robert.

Suddenly, Teddiursa hid behind Gyro.

"Don't be scared. I'm a friend, " said Robert as he poured some Pokémon food into his hand. "Here. Try some."

Robert laid his hand out. Teddiursa moved his head out from behind Gyro, cautiously moved toward Robert, and ate some. Within seconds, it had finished the handful and had a big grin on its face.

"How do you feel about receiving a nickname?" asked Robert.

"Ursa, " said Teddiursa joyfully.

Robert thought about for a minute and came up with an answer.

"How about Sugar, as is how sweet honey can be?" asked Robert.

Sugar immediately jumped for joy.

"Let's take that picture already, " said Robert as he focused the camera's lens on both pokémon.

Sugar and Gyro both gave big grins as Robert pressed a button, causing a flash to go off.

"Sugar and Gyro, return!" exclaimed Robert as he pointed two pokéballs at them.

A red laser beam came from each pokéball, converting each pokémon into energy and sucking them inside their pokéballs.

"Let's see what other Pokémon can be found around here, " said Robert.

Robert continued on the forest road until he came across a very small, spherical, and green bird with small and brightly colored wings, red talons, almond-shaped eyes, red tail feathers, a yellow beak, and a red feather on its forehead struggling to move.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" asked Robert as he pulled his pokédex and aimed toward the Pokémon.

Its still image immediately appeared on the Pokédex.

"Natu, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It picks food from cactus plants, deftly avoiding buds and spines. It seems to skip about to move, " said the pokédex.

"It must be sick or something because it's barely skipping, " said Robert.

Robert immediately ran up toward Natu and touched its forehead.

"It's burning up. I have to get her to the nearest Pokémon center as soon as possible, " said Robert as he picked up Natu and continued out of the forest.

Suddenly, he bumped into a woman with long blue hair and gray eyes, whom was wearing a gray and blue kimono.

"Hey, watch it, " said the woman.

"Sorry, miss. I was trying to get this sick Pokémon to a Pokémon center, " said Robert as he showed her the Natu.

"Unfortunately, there isn't one nearby, " said the woman. "Maybe the clinic in Foothill Town can help."

"Cool, but how do I get there?" asked Robert.

"Follow me. By the way, I'm Gwen, " said Gwen as she shook Robert's hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Robert Williams, " said Robert as he shook Gwen's hand.

Gwen and Robert immediately headed down the forest road and arrived inside Foothill Town. They continue through the town and found themselves in front of a large building.

"This is the clinic I was talking about, " said Gwen.

"Ok. Let's hurry, " said Robert.

Robert and Gwen headed inside the clinic and approached a red-haired and blue-eyed doctor named Anthony.

"Dr. Anthony, I founded this sick Natu in the forest. Can you help it?" asked Robert.

"It looks like it was poisoned by a Bug-type Pokémon. Don't worry. You brought it here just in time, " said Anthony.

Robert quickly gave Natu to Anthony, whom took it to his examination room. Robert and Gwen headed from the lobby and began talking.

"My grandfather told me about Dewford Town once, " said Robert. "He said that an avid surfer is the gym leader there."

"He's right. His name is Brawly. He even trains his pokémon using surfing techniques, " said Gwen.

"Cool, " said Robert.

Gwen and Robert continued talking until Dr. Anthony appeared next to them.

"Hey, doc. Is Natu feeling better?" asked Robert

"Yes, its fever has broken, and it has gotten better, " said Anthony.

"That's great, " said Gwen.

"Can we check on it?" asked Robert.

"Yes. Follow me, " said Anthony.

All three headed back to the examination room where they saw Natu staring off in the distance.

"Hi, Natu, " said Robert.

Suddenly, Natu vanished from the room.

"Where did it go?" asked Robert.

All three searched the entire room until Gwen turned toward Robert.

"Look up, Robert, " said Gwen.

Robert immediately looked up and saw that Natu was resting on his head.

"It must have used Teleport to get on my head, " said Robert. "Maybe I can catch it."

Robert unclipped a pokéball from his belt and pressed a button.

"Pokéball, go!" exclaimed Robert as he threw it above his head.

Just as the pokéball was heading for Natu, it teleported off Robert's head and the pokéball hit Robert instead.

"Ouch. That's hurt, " said Robert.

"That Natu is very fast, " said Dr. Anthony.

"I agree, but I know that I will see that pokémon again, " said Robert.

"Speaking of Pokémon, how about a battle tomorrow?" asked Gwen.

"Sounds good to me. This will be my first battle ever, " said Robert.

Gwen and Robert got something to eat, found somewhere to sleep, and went to bed. The next morning, Robert woke up to a little surprise on his head.

"Natu, I hope I didn't scare you when I try to catch you yesterday, " said Robert.

"Natu," said Natu as it shook its head.

"Do you want to come with me?" asked Robert.

Natu jumped up and down on Robert's head.

"First, you have to get off of my head, " said Robert.

Natu teleported from the top of Robert's head and reappeared on his backpack.

"By the way, what do you think of the name Tribal, as in the tribal markings on your body?" asked Robert.

Natu nodded its head.

"Ok. Pokéball, go!" exclaimed Robert as he threw the pokéball.

The pokéball hit Natu, converting her into red energy and sucking her into the pokéball itself, and it landed on the ground with its button glowing red. It moved back and forth until it suddenly stops, and its button stopped glowing.

"Yes, I caught Natu," said Robert. "I have to hurry. Gwen is probably up already."

Robert got up, get dressed, ate breakfast, and returned to the clinic's lobby where Gwen was waiting. She now had green bobbed hair and was wearing a green shirt and khaki shorts.

"Took you long enough, " said Gwen. "There is a park near here, a perfect place for a battle."

"Why did you change your hair color?" asked Robert.

"I can be a bit fickle whether it's my hair color or my pokémon, " said Gwen.

"Interesting, " said Robert.

Robert and Gwen headed to the park and positioned themselves opposite each other.

"This will be a two on two battle. The one who defeats both of their opponent's Pokémon wins the match, " said Gwen.

"I understand, " said Robert.

"Wigglytuff, showtime!" exclaimed Gwen as she threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A large, pink, and balloon-like Pokémon with a white underbelly, large blue baby-like eyes, a pair of large rabbit ears, and a twisty tuft of pink hair on its forehead appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Gwen's hand.

"A male Wigglytuff, huh, " said Robert as he pulled his pokédex out of his pocket and aimed toward the Pokémon.

Its still image immediately appeared on the pokédex.

"Wigglytuff, the Balloon Pokémon. Its fine fur feels sublime to the touch. It can expand its body by inhaling air, " said the pokédex.

"Tribal, come on out!" exclaimed Robert as he threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up, revealing Natu. Then, the pokéball returned to Robert's hand. Suddenly, Natu teleported on top of Robert's head

"It also looks like you've caught that elusive Natu, " said Gwen jokingly.

"I caught her this morning. That's why I took so long to meet up with you, " said Robert as he looked up at Natu. "Tribal, get off my head. We've have to battle."

Natu quickly teleported back to the field.

"All right. Enough talking," said Gwen.

"Let's battle!" they exclaimed.

"Wigglytuff, use Pound!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Tribal, use Teleport and then Peck!" exclaimed Robert.

Just as Wigglytuff attempted to use her paw to hit Tribal, Tribal vanished in a flash of light. Suddenly, Tribal reappeared behind Wigglytuff and hit Wigglytuff from behind with his peck, causing partial damage to Wigglytuff.

"Good job, Tribal, " said Robert.

"Natu, Natu, " said Tribal.

"Tribal, use Quick Attack!" exclaimed Robert.

"Wigglytuff, dodge and use Body Slam!" exclaimed Gwen.

Tribal came hopping toward Wigglytuff at rapid speed with a white trail behind her; however, Wigglytuff inflated itself to twice its original size, propelled itself into the air, and came crashing into Tribal, causing extensive damage to her.

"Good job, Wigglytuff, " said Gwen.

"Wigglytuff, " said Wigglytuff happily.

"Can you continue, Tribal?" asked Robert.

"Natu, " said Natu happily.

"Wigglytuff, use Sing!" exclaimed Gwen.

Wigglytuff started singing very softly. Tribal suddenly became drowsy and fell asleep.

"Wigglytuff, use Wake-Up Slap at full strength!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Tribal, wake up and counter with Psychic!" exclaimed Robert.

Wigglytuff came charging toward Tribal. Suddenly, Tribal's eyes opened up and turned light blue. A light blue aura surrounded Wigglytuff, stopping her from moving and lifting her off the ground.

"How did you pull that off?" asked Gwen.

"Natu have a special ability called Early Bird, which quickly wakes a Pokémon affected by a sleep-inducing attack, " said Robert.

"Not good at all, " said Gwen.

"Tribal, send Wigglytuff flying!" exclaimed Robert.

Tribal used her Psychic attack to slam Wigglytuff into a tree, knocking her unconscious.

"Wigglytuff, return!" exclaimed Gwen as she pointed her pokéball at Wigglytuff.

A red laser beam came from the pokéball and hit Wigglytuff, converting her into pure energy and sucking her inside the pokéball.

"Good job, Wigglytuff. You deserve a good rest, " said Gwen.

"Who's your next Pokémon?" asked Robert.

"Zubat, showtime!" exclaimed Gwen as she threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A small, blue, and bat-like Pokémon with two long, skinny tails, a face that lacks eyes and a nose, and short fangs appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Gwen's hand.

"It's a female Zubat. Cool, " said Robert as he pulled his pokédex out of his pocket and aimed toward the Pokémon.

Its still image immediately appeared on the pokédex.

"Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. Even though it has no eyes, it can sense obstacles using ultrasonic waves it emits from its mouth, " said the pokédex.

"Let's continue, " said Gwen.

"No problem, " said Robert.

"Tribal, use Night Shade!" exclaimed Robert.

"Zubat, dodge and use Bite!" exclaimed Gwen.

Tribal fired black light beams from her eyes at Zubat; however, Zubat avoided Night Shade and bit Tribal on her left wing, causing extensive damage.

"Psychic-type pokémon are weak against Dark-type moves like Bite, " said Gwen.

"Tribal, can you continue?" asked Robert.

"Natu, " said Tribal.

"Zubat, use Wing Attack!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Tribal, counter that with Ominous Wind!" exclaimed Robert.

Zubat's wings turned white, and she flew toward Tribal at high speed. Tribal jumped up and spun herself, releasing purple waves of wind toward Zubat. The combination of the two attacks created an explosion that engulfed the field in smoke. When the smoke cleared, both pokémon received partial damage.

"Tribal, use Night Shade one more time!" exclaimed Robert.

"Zubat, use Supersonic!" exclaimed Gwen.

Tribal fired her Night Shade attack at Zubat; however, Zubat fired small blue circles from her mouth at Tribal. Suddenly, Tribal stopped attacking and became dizzy and confused.

"Tribal, snap out of it!" exclaimed Robert.

"Zubat, use Air Slash!" exclaimed Gwen.

Zubat created a ball of wind with her wings, which she threw it at Tribal, causing extensive damage. Tribal struggled to stand up, but she eventually fainted.

"Tribal, return!" exclaimed Robert as he pointed his pokéball at Tribal.

A red laser beam came from the pokéball and hit Tribal, converting it into pure energy and sucking her inside the pokéball.

"Not bad for your first battle. You earned a good rest, " said Robert.

"It's now one on one. Who's your next Pokémon?" asked Gwen.

"Gyro, come on out!" exclaimed Robert as he threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up, revealing Buizel. Then, the pokéball returned to Robert's hand.

"You have a Buizel. Look like I'm not the only one with Sinnoh-exclusive pokémon, " said Gwen.

"My dad sent me her egg yesterday. She is my first pokémon," said Robert.

"Ready to continue?" asked Gwen.

"I'm ready," said Robert.

"Zubat, use Air Cutter!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Gyro, use Agility, and then use Swift!" exclaimed Robert.

Zubat flapped her wings and released several slashes of wind at Gyro; however, she moved from left to right to avoid it. Gyro then fired her Swift attack, causing significant damage to Zubat.

"I'm not out of this battle yet," said Gwen.

"Gyro, use Water Gun!" exclaimed Robert.

"Zubat, dodge and use Poison Fang!" exclaimed Gwen.

Gyro fired her Water Gun attack at Zubat; however, she avoided it. Zubat's fangs turned purple, and he bit Gyro in the neck, causing extensive damage to Gyro.

"Can you continue, Gyro?" asked Robert.

"Buizel," said Gyro.

"Zubat, finish her off with Air Slash!" exclaimed Gwen

"Gyro, counter that with Razor Wind!" exclaimed Robert.

Gyro's tail turned white and fired crescent wind blades at Zubat while Zubat fired his Air Slash attack at Gyro. The combination of the attacks caused an explosion that engulfed the field with smoke. When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon received extensive damage and struggled to get up.

"Zubat, stand up!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Gyro, please get on your feet!" exclaimed Robert.

Eventually, both Pokémon fainted.

"Zubat, return!" exclaimed Gwen as she pointed her pokéball at Zubat.

A red laser beam came from the pokéball and hit Zubat, converting her into pure energy and sucking him inside the pokéball.

"You should be proud of yourself. You earned a good rest, " said Gwen.

"Gyro, return!" exclaimed Robert as he pointed his pokéball at Gyro.

A red laser beam came from the pokéball and hit Gyro, converting her into pure energy and sucking her inside the pokéball.

"You did your best. You earned a good rest, " said Robert. "Looks like we're evenly matched, Gwen."

"I agree. That was a great battle, " said Gwen as they shook hands. "You should definitely challenge Roxanne, the Rustboro City gym leader."

"I'm heading there anyway, " said Robert. "Where are you heading?"

"I'm going to Verdanturf Town. A Pokémon contest is being held there, " said Gwen.

"That's right. You told me yesterday about choosing to become a Pokémon coordinator, " said Robert.

"This will be my first contest ever, " said Gwen.

"Since Verdanturf Town is on the way to Rustboro, why don't we go together?" asked Robert.

"Sure, I would like that, " said Gwen.

"Next stop. Verdanturf Town, " said Robert.

Robert and Gwen left the park and began their journey toward Verdanturf Town.


	3. Verdanturf Wars

_**Legal Disclaimer**__: This story follows the rules as "An Egg-citing Start". The masked coordinator and any characteristics associated with him are the properties of Multiple Personas. Penelope Fuller and any characteristics associated with her are the properties of Sarco the Legend. Monica Porterfield, Raphael Carter, Alicia Carpenter, Corey Jackson, Curtis Lopez, and Danielle Patterson and any characteristics associated with them are mine and can't be used without my permission. _

**A Vivid Journey**

Chapter 3: Verdanturf Wars

Hours later, Gwen and Robert had arrived in Verdanturf Town. They continued through the town and arrived at the contest hall.

"What do you think of the place?" asked Gwen.

"It's awesome, " said Robert.

"Let's hurry inside so I register for this contest, " said Gwen.

Gwen and Robert immediately went inside. Robert saw lots of trainers either grooming their Pokémon or feeding them candy.

"Those Pokémon are being fed Pokéblock, right?" asked Robert.

"Correct, " said Gwen.

They quickly headed for the main deck where Nurse Joy was waiting.

"Excuse me, but I want to enter this contest, " said Gwen.

"That should be no problem. Do you have a contest pass?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Yes, I do, " said Gwen as she pulled out a card with a big picture of a contest ribbon and a golden holographic symbol in the corner and gave it to Nurse Joy.

Nurse Joy immediately scanned it and gave it back to Gwen.

"You are contestant number 11. The contest will begin at 3 P. M. Good luck, " said Nurse Joy.

"Thanks, " said Gwen.

Gwen and Robert immediately headed to the Pokémon center to get some lunch and to give their Pokémon a full checkup. Within one hour, Robert and Gwen had returned to the contest hall. Gwen headed back stage while Robert found a seat in the audience. Suddenly, a brunette woman, who was wearing a red dress and was holding a microphone in her left hand, appeared onstage in front of a monitor.

"Welcome Pokémon fans to the Verdanturf Pokémon contest. I'm Vivian Meridian, your mistress of ceremonies and commentator for this event. The coordinator who wins today will receive this beautiful ribbon, " said Vivian as an orange and blue ribbon appeared on the screen. "Let's introduce our judges."

Vivian immediately pointed to three people sitting at monitor desks.

"First, we have Mr. Raoul Contesta, director of Pokémon contests, " said Vivian as she pointed to a black-haired man with a gray streak down the middle of his hair.

He was wearing a red business suit consisting of a red jacket, a white shirt, a black bowtie and a pink flower as a lapel.

"We are looking for excellent displays of skill and strength, " said Mr. Contesta.

"Next, we have Mr. Sukizo, president of the Pokémon Fan Club, " said Vivian as she pointed to a brown-haired man with slanted eyes next to Mr. Contesta.

He was wearing a gray business suit consisting of a gray jacket, a white shirt, and a red necktie.

"I'm sure that their performances will be remarkable, " said Mr. Sukizo.

"Last but certainly not least, Verdanturf Town's own Nurse Joy, " said Vivian as she pointed to Nurse Joy.

"I'm looking for the strong bond between humans and pokémon to come out in their performances, " said Nurse Joy.

"Now that our judges have been introduced, let's begin our appeal round, " said Vivian.

Many coordinators appeared onstage and released pokémon to entertain the audience and to impress the judges. Soon, it was Gwen's turn.

"Now, let's welcome to the stage, Gwen from Dewford Town, " said Vivian.

Gwen came out onstage with purple hair done in a ponytail.

"Loudred, showtime!" exclaimed Gwen as she threw its pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A medium-sized purple creature shaped somewhat like a box, which has a huge mouth with yellow lips and peg-like teeth on each corner, two spherical ears on the ends of stalks, and a yellow pattern resembling sound waves on its back, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Gwen's hand.

"Loudred, use Double Team to copy yourself, " said Gwen.

Loudred suddenly created nine copies of itself that formed into a circle.

"Now, Loudred, use Hyper Voice!" exclaimed Gwen.

Each Loudred created a blue sphere in their mouths. Then, they launched at each other. The combination of their attacks created a huge sonic pulse that shook the entire contest hall. Afterwards, the audience began applauding.

"That was definitely an earthshaking appeal. Let's see what our judges think, " said Vivian.

"The combination of Double Team and Hyper Voice was truly amazing, " said Mr. Contesta.

"Remarkable, " said Mr. Sukizo.

"A unique combination, " said Nurse Joy.

"Let's see what Gwen's final score was, " said Vivian.

The number 27.5 appeared on the screen behind her.

"That's an impressive score, " said Vivian.

"Cool, " said Gwen as she left the stage.

"Let's welcome to the stage, the masked coordinator from Habaneraville, " said Vivian.

A young man wearing a dark cloak and a white mask that hid his facial features appeared onstage.

"Forretress, I choose you!" exclaimed the masked coordinator as he threw its pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A large round cocoon-like creature with two steel pinkish plates positioned on the top and bottom of his body shaped with uneven grooves, a red internal shell in which there is a smaller gap along its equator through which his eyes can be seen, and four tube-like spikes protruding out the four corners of his outer shell. Then, the pokéball returns to the masked coordinator's hands.

"Forretress, use Spikes!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Forretress retracted his spikes, rotated himself, and fired several black spears into the stage floor.

"Now, Forretress, use Earthquake!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Forretress rose higher into the sky and slammed into the ground, sending sonic waves through the ground and knocking the spikes loose and into the air.

"Forretress, finish up with Rapid Spin!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Forretress rotated himself again, becoming a twister and spinning his spikes. Afterwards, the audience began applauding.

"Impressive appeal. Let's see what our judges thought, " said Vivian.

"He definitively showed off the strength and speed of his pokémon, " said Mr. Contesta.

"Truly remarkable, " said Mr. Sukizo.

"The bond between those two is impressive, " said Nurse Joy.

"Let's see what the masked coordinator's final score was, " said Vivian.

The number 28.5 appeared on the screen behind her.

"Nice, " said the masked coordinator as he left the stage.

When he arrived backstage, Gwen immediately went over to talk to him.

"Not bad out there, " said Gwen.

"Yours was ok. I guess, " said the masked coordinator.

Suddenly, Vivian reappeared on screen.

"The appeal round of this contest has come to an end. It is time to announce the eight coordinators moving to the next round, " said Vivian as she pointed toward the screen.

First, the masked coordinator's picture appeared. Next, six other pictures appeared on screen.

"I hope my appeal was good enough, " said Gwen.

Finally, Gwen's picture appeared on screen.

"All right, " said Gwen.

"Now, the computer will shuffle the pictures to determine the pairings for the battle round, " said Vivian.

The pictures on the screen became moving around for at least three minutes. Suddenly, the pictures stopped moving and paired up.

"Remember as each pokémon gets attacked or misses an attack, their coordinator loses points. The winner is determined when a pokémon is unable to battle, when a coordinator's points lowers to zero, or who has the most points after five minutes, " said Vivian. "Our first battle is between Penelope Fuller and Curtis Lopez."

A twelve-year-old woman with long blue hair and hazel eyes, who was wearing a gray and blue kimono, came out onstage followed by a thirteen-year-old man with yellow hair done in a fauxhawk and dark brown eyes. Once they positioned themselves opposite each other, their pictures reappeared on the screen with a yellow bar underneath each one.

"Kecleon, come on out!" exclaimed Penelope as she threw her pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A greenish reptilian creature with yellow rings around the eyes, yellow lips, yellow frills, small ridges on its shoulders, a red zigzag stripe around its midsection, and a long skinny tail usually curled in a helix shape appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to her hand.

"Illumise, onstage!" exclaimed Curtis as he threw his pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A firefly-like creature with a black and blue body with two vertical stripes going down the front, black arms and legs connected to the body by purple borders, a yellow bow on her front, large and slanted eyes with blue irises, a purple appendage with curls at the end that frame its face surrounding her head, small and yellow antennae, and small wings appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to her hand.

"Let's the battle begin, " said Vivian.

"Kecleon, use Psybeam!" exclaimed Penelope.

"Illumise, dodge and use Quick Attack!" exclaimed Curtis.

Kecleon's stripes glowed and fired a multicolored light beam at Illumise; however, Illumise flew higher and avoided it, decreasing Penelope's points by 5%. Illumise then dived down at a fast speed toward Kecleon with a white trail behind it and hit Kecleon, causing partial damage to Kecleon and decreasing Penelope's points by 10%.

"Illumise, use Bug Buzz!" exclaimed Curtis.

"Kecleon, counter that with Ancientpower!" exclaimed Penelope.

Illumise rapidly flapped her wings, releasing a powerful sonic wave toward Kecleon. Kecleon created and fired a large ball of white energy at Illumise with his paws. The combination of the two attacks created an explosion that engulfed the field in smoke. When the smoke cleared, both pokémon received significant damage and Curtis' and Penelope's points decreased by 25%.

"Illumise, use Zen Headbutt!" exclaimed Curtis.

"Kecleon, dodge and use Shadow Claw!" exclaimed Penelope.

Illumise came charging at Kecleon with her forehead giving off a blue-white glow; however, Kecleon avoided the attack, decreasing Curtis' points by 5%. Suddenly, Kecleon's left paw gave off a black glow. Kecleon swiped Illumise with his paw, causing significant damage to Illumise and decreasing Curtis' points by 25%.

"Can you continue, Illumise?" asked Curtis.

"Illumise, " said Illumise.

"Kecleon, use Ancientpower one more time!" exclaimed Penelope.

"Illumise, counter that with Zen Headbutt!" exclaimed Curtis.

Kecleon used his Ancientpower attack to blast Illumise; however, Illumise overpowered Ancientpower with her Zen Headbutt, causing extensive damage to Kecleon and decreasing Penelope's points by 20%.

"Time's up, " said Vivian as she turned toward the screen. "The person continuing on to the next round is Curtis Lopez from Celadon City."

Suddenly, Penelope's and Curtis' scoreboard was replaced by Curtis' picture, a picture of the Verdanturf ribbon, and the word WINNER.

"All right, " said Curtis.

"Good luck in the next round, " said Penelope as she shook Curtis' hand.

"Thanks, " said Curtis as he shook Penelope's hand.

Both coordinators left the stage.

"Our next coordinators are Monica Porterfield and the masked coordinator, " said Vivian.

The masked coordinator came out onstage followed by a fifteen-year-old woman with orange hair done in pigtails and hazel eyes. Once they positioned themselves opposite each other, their pictures reappeared on the screen with a yellow bar underneath each one.

"Marowak, come on out!" exclaimed the masked coordinator as he threw his pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A large brown dinosaur-like creature with a plump body and a small tail, whose head has grown into the skull it wears, and wields a long bone, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to his hand.

"Cradily, time to play!" exclaimed Monica as she threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A green creature with yellow eyes, a body made of a lump with four tubes, yellow eyelike dots on the back of its head, and eight pink tentacles around its neck, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to her hand.

"Let the battle begin, " said Vivian.

"Marowak, use Headbutt!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

"Cradily, dodge and use Constrict!" exclaimed Monica.

Marowak came charging with his head lowered; however, Cradily avoided it, decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 5%. Cradily then used the tentacles around its neck to wrap up Marowak and slammed him into the ground, decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 15%.

"Cradily, use Energy Ball!" exclaimed Monica.

"Marowak, use Focus Energy followed by Bonemerang!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Cradily created a ball of greenish-blue energy in front of its mouth and fired it at Marowak. Marowak surrounded himself with a blue aura and threw his bone club at Cradily. The bone overpowered Cradily's Energy Ball attack and hit Cradily, causing extensive damage to Cradily and decreasing Monica's points by 35%.

"Cradily, can you continue?" asked Monica.

"Cradily," said Cradily as she struggled to get up.

"Cradily, use Confuse Ray followed by Energy Ball!" exclaimed Monica.

First, Cradily used his Confuse Ray attack to make Marowak dizzy and confused, decreasing the masked coordinator's powers by 5%. Next, Cradily fired his Energy Ball attack at Marowak, causing significant damage to Marowak and decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 20%.

"Marowak, snap out of it and used Double-Edge!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Marowak quickly recovered from his confusion and came charging at Cradily, causing significant damage to Cradily and partial damage to Marowak himself and decreasing Monica's points by 20% and the masked coordinator's points by 5%.

"Time's up, " said Vivian as she turned toward the screen. "The person continuing on to the next round is the masked coordinator from Habaneraville."

Suddenly, the masked coordinator's and Monica's scoreboard was replaced by the masked coordinator's picture, a picture of the Verdanturf ribbon, and the word WINNER.

"Cool, " said the masked coordinator.

"Good luck in the next round, " said Monica as she shook the masked coordinator's hand.

"Whatever, " said the masked coordinator as he shook Monica's hand.

Both coordinators left the stage.

"Our next coordinators are Gwen and Raphael Carter, " said Vivian.

"It's my turn now, " said Gwen.

Gwen came out onstage with pink hair followed by a fifteen-year-old man with black hair done in short dreads and green eyes. Once they positioned themselves opposite each other, their pictures reappeared on the screen with a yellow bar underneath each one.

"Wigglytuff, showtime!" exclaimed Gwen as she threw her pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up, revealing Wigglytuff. Then, the pokéball returned to Gwen's hand.

"Slowbro, onstage!" exclaimed Raphael.

The pokéball opened up. A light pink and bipedal creature, which has a spiral shell version of Shellder, a bivalve-like and purplish-blue creature, attached to its tail and a tan muzzle and resembled a cross between a salamander and a hippopotamus, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Raphael's hand.

"Let the battle begin, " said Vivian.

"Wigglytuff, use Body Slam!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Slowbro, dodge and use Water Pulse!" exclaimed Raphael.

Wigglytuff use her Body Slam attack on Slowbro; however, Slowbro avoided it, decreasing Gwen's points by 5%. Slowbro then created and fired a ball of high-pressured water from her paws at Wigglytuff, causing partial damage to Wigglytuff and decreasing Gwen's points by 15%.

"Slowbro, use Psychic!" exclaimed Raphael.

"Wigglytuff, use Disable followed by Rollout!" exclaimed Gwen.

Slowbro used her Psychic attack on Wigglytuff; however, Wigglytuff used his paws to release blue rings of energy, paralyzing Slowbro and decreasing Raphael's points by 5%. Wigglytuff then curled up into a ball and came rolling into Slowbro, causing significant damage to Slowbro and decreasing Raphael's points by 20%.

"Slowbro, are you ok?" asked Raphael.

"Slowbro, " said Slowbro as he shook his head.

"Wigglytuff, use Rollout one more time!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Slowbro, counter that with Zen Headbutt!" exclaimed Raphael.

Wigglytuff used his Rollout attack at double its original strength on Slowbro. Slowbro used her Zen Headbutt on Wigglytuff. The combination of the two attacks caused an explosion that engulfed the field in smoke. When the smoke cleared, both pokémon received significant damage and both Gwen's and Raphael's points decreased by 10%.

"Slowbro, use Confusion!" exclaimed Raphael.

"Wigglytuff, counter that with Gyro Ball!" exclaimed Gwen.

Slowbro's eyes turn blue and fired a blue light toward Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff's arms gave off a white glow, and he spun himself toward Slowbro. Wigglytuff's Gyro Ball overpowered Slowbro's Confusion attack and hit Slowbro, causing extensive damage to Slowbro and decreasing Raphael's points by 25%.

"Can you continue, Slowbro?" asked Raphael.

Slowbro struggled to stand up, but she eventually fainted. Suddenly, red X's appeared on the judge's monitors.

"Based on that performance, the person continuing on to the next round is Gwen from Dewford Town, " said Vivian.

Suddenly, Gwen's and Raphael's scoreboard was replaced by Gwen's picture, a picture of the Verdanturf ribbon, and the word WINNER.

"Sweet, " said Gwen.

"Good luck in the next round, " said Raphael as he shook Gwen's hand.

"Thank you. Maybe we'll battle again, " said Gwen as she shook Raphael's hand.

Both coordinators left the stage.

"Our final two coordinators are Alicia Carpenter and Corey Jackson, " said Vivian.

A thirteen-year-old woman with red braided hair and blue eyes came out onstage followed by a fifteen-year-old man with red mullet-styled hair and hazel eyes. Once they positioned themselves opposite each other, their pictures reappeared on the screen with a yellow bar underneath each one.

"Staryu, I choose you!" exclaimed Alicia as she threw her pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A sea star-like creature with a tan colored body, a gold formation at the center of its front, an exterior organ resembling a red jewel called the core at the very center of its body, and a gold loop around its bottom-left point, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Alicia's hand.

"Persian, come on out!" exclaimed Corey as he threw his pokéball on the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A cougar-like creature with pale tan fur, black ears, a red jewel in the middle of its forehead, and a whorl at the end of its tail, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Corey's hand.

"Let the battle begin, " said Vivian.

"Staryu, use Swift!" exclaimed Alicia.

"Persian, dodge and use Fury Swipes!" exclaimed Corey.

Staryu fired its Swift attack at Persian; however, he avoided it, decreasing Alicia's points by 5%. Persian then repeatedly scratched Staryu with his claws, causing partial damage to Staryu and decreasing Alicia's points by 15%.

"Persian, use Slash!" exclaimed Corey.

"Staryu, use Minimize followed by Bubblebeam!" exclaimed Alicia.

Persian jumped up and swiped Staryu with his claw; however, Staryu temporarily shrank itself, avoiding Persian's attack and decreasing Corey's points by 10%. Staryu then fired light orange bubbles from its jewel at Persian, causing significant damage to Persian and decreasing Corey's points by 15%.

"Staryu, use Gyro Ball!" exclaimed Alicia.

"Persian, counter that with Power Gem!" exclaimed Corey.

Staryu used its Gyro Ball attack to hit Persian. Persian created a large ball of glowing yellow light from his head and fired it at Staryu. The combination of the two attacks caused an explosion that engulfed the field in smoke. When the smoke cleared, both pokémon received significant damage and both coordinators' points decreased by 15%.

"Persian, use Night Slash!" exclaimed Corey.

"Staryu, dodge and use Hydro Pump!" exclaimed Alicia.

Persian came charging at Staryu with his left paw glowing purple; however, Staryu avoided it, decreasing Corey's points by 10%. Staryu fired a powerful jet of water from the tip of its uppermost limb at Persian, causing extensive damage to Persian and decreasing Corey's points by 25%.

"Persian, are you ok?" asked Corey.

Persian struggled to stand up, but he eventually fainted. Suddenly, red X's appeared on the judge's monitors.

"Based on that performance, the person continuing on to the next round is Alicia Carpenter from Blackthorn City, " said Vivian.

Suddenly, Alicia's and Corey's scoreboard was replaced by Alicia's picture, a picture of the Verdanturf ribbon, and the word WINNER.

"Yes, " said Alicia

"Good luck in the next round, " said Corey as he shook Alicia's hand.

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to our next contest battle, " said Alicia as she shook Corey's hand.

Both coordinators left the stage. Fifteen minutes later, the semifinal battles began. First, the masked coordinator's Forretress battled Curtis' Kirlia, a white creature with skinny green legs, green bobbed hair, red eyes, and two red horns on the sides of its head. Then, Gwen's Loudred battled Alicia's Charmeleon, a crimson, reptilian, and bipedal creature with a flame on the tip of its tail. Eventually, only two coordinators remained.

"All right, everyone. It's time for the final round of the Verdanturf Contest, " said Vivian. "The masked coordinator and Gwen have battled long and hard to get to this point. So, let's welcome them back to the stage."

The masked coordinator came out onstage followed by Gwen, who had gray hair done in a ponytail.

"Magnemite, showtime!" exclaimed Gwen as she threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A robotic creature with a gray, circular, and metallic body, a single big eye, horseshoe magnets on its left and right sides, two screws under its eye, and another screw on top of its head, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to Gwen's hand.

"Cloyster, come on out!" exclaimed the masked coordinator as he threw a pokéball onto the ground.

The pokéball opened up. A large bivalve creature with a spiky shell and a head and face resembling a black pearl, appeared on the field. Then, the pokéball returned to the masked coordinator's hand.

"Let the battle begin, " said Vivian.

"Magnemite, use Spark!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Cloyster, use Protect followed by Aurora Beam!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Magnemite surrounded itself in blue electricity and came charging into Cloyster; however, Cloyster created a ball of yellow energy around himself, deflecting Magnemite's attack and decreasing Gwen's points by 10%. Cloyster fired a multicolored beam from his horn at Magnemite, causing partial damage to it and decreasing Gwen's points by 10%.

"Magnemite, can you continue?" asked Gwen.

"Magnemite, " said Magnemite.

"Cloyster, use Ice Beam!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

"Magnemite, dodge and use Mirror Shot!" exclaimed Gwen.

Cloyster fired two light blue beams from his horn at Magnemite; however, Magnemite avoided it, decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 15%. Magnemite then fired a green beam of light from its eye at Cloyster, causing significant damage to Cloyster and decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 15%.

"Magnemite, use Thundershock!" exclaimed Gwen.

"Cloyster, counter that with Ice Shard!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

Magnemite gave off a bright yellow glow and released electricity from its body. Cloyster created and fired a shard of ice from its horn at Magnemite. The combination of the two attacks created an explosion that engulfed the field in smoke. When the smoke cleared, both pokémon received significant damage and both coordinators' points decreased by 15%.

"Cloyster, use Aurora Beam one more time!" exclaimed the masked coordinator.

"Magnemite, use Thunder Wave followed by Discharge!" exclaimed Gwen.

Cloyster fired his Aurora Beam at Magnemite; however, Magnemite released blue bolts of electricity at Cloyster, paralyzing Cloyster and decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 15%. Magnemite then charges itself and fired more blue electricity at Cloyster, causing extensive damage to Cloyster and decreasing the masked coordinator's points by 15%.

"Time's up, " said Vivian as she turned toward the screen. "The winner of this contest is Gwen from Dewford Town."

Suddenly, the masked coordinator's and Gwen's scoreboard was replaced by the Gwen's picture, a picture of the Verdanturf ribbon, and the word WINNER.

Mr. Contesta immediately came onstage along with the rest of the coordinators.

"Gwen, here is proof of your win in the Verdanturf contest, " said Mr. Contesta as he placed a tray in front of Gwen with the ribbon on it.

Gwen immediately grabbed the ribbon.

"All right. The Verdanturf ribbon is mine, " said Gwen. "Thank you so very much."

Hours later, Gwen had rejoined Robert at the Pokémon center.

"That was an awesome contest. You were great, " said Robert.

"Thanks, Robert. I appreciate the support, " said Gwen.

"Ready to go to Rustboro City?" asked Robert.

"Hold on a minute, " said a voice.

Gwen and Robert immediately turned around and saw that a fourteen-year-old girl with marigold mop top hair and gray eyes was running toward them. She was wearing a green top, black wireframe glasses, khaki pants, and white sneakers with red shoelaces.

"Good to see you again, Danielle, " said Gwen.

"I'd hope to catch up with you, " said Danielle.

"How come?" asked Gwen.

"I was wondering if I could join your party, " said Danielle.

"Wait a minute. I remember you. You appealed with that very unique pokémon, " said Robert.

"Correct, but who are you?" asked Danielle.

"I'm Robert Williams for Mauville City,"

"I'm Danielle Patterson from Cinnabar Island, " asked Danielle

Robert and Danielle immediately shook hands.

"Where are you two heading?" asked Danielle.

"We're headed to Rustboro City so Robert can earn his first badge, " asked Gwen.

"While we are traveling, you can tell how you caught a unique pokémon like that one, " said Robert.

"That sounds like a great idea, " said Danielle.

Robert, Danielle, and Gwen left the pokémon center and continued toward Rustboro City.


End file.
